Chapter Summaries

Xu Qi took on more responsibility at Bronya’s company while Alysia began working there, and the women around him showed their concern for her. Mei reassured Xu Qi of her love and invited him to her kendo club’s practice match, while the chapter ended with Delta summoning Alysia to her office.

• Bronya entrusted Xu Qi with broader responsibilities, kissed him, and reminded him to visit her on Wednesday; after she left, Xu Qi locked his office door and punished Alysia for teasing him at work.
• Mobius repeatedly teased Alysia about her new job to gauge how she was doing, while Mei also asked about her situation at the company.
• Mei told Xu Qi that he was the best in her eyes, then invited him to watch the kendo club’s recruitment practice match next Thursday.
• Mei took the lead with Xu Qi that night, and he took the following morning off after their long night together.
• Xu Qi’s coworkers asked Rita and Alysia why he was absent, and Alysia’s embarrassed answer led them to assume she was his wife.
• Delta came out of her office and asked Alysia to come speak with her.

Delta put Alysia to work helping retrieve Episode 13 cuts, and Alysia spent the day visiting key animators before returning exhausted to Xu Qi. As she described meeting Seele and watching Delta work tirelessly, Xu Qi asked whether the day had also been interesting, leaving Alysia reflecting on what made work bearable.

• Delta told Alysia to accompany her and Susana to retrieve Episode 13 cuts from a key animator, explaining that Alysia needed to contribute to the animation.
• Xu Qi told Rita that he had expected Delta to put Alysia to work and that he was treating Alysia as his disciple.
• Delta, Susana, and Alysia went to Seele's apartment, where Delta confronted Seele about working from home and learned that Alysia already knew her.
• Alysia returned to Xu Qi's office exhausted and complained that she had followed Delta to four key animators throughout the day.
• Xu Qi asked Alysia whether the day had been interesting, and she said it had been before recounting that Seele was the first animator they visited.

Xu Qi encouraged Alysia to learn about people through her work, while her time with Delta and the courtyard girls continued. As life stayed mostly peaceful, Xu Qi grew closer to Theresa and prepared to accompany Mei to her school’s kendo match, ending the night with Mei promising him a surprise.

• Xu Qi told Alysia to understand people first when writing, and she realized meeting him had been important to her.
• Alysia continued doing writing work with Delta, while Xu Qi remained unsure whether she would become a scriptwriter.
• Xu Qi learned that Anti-Entropy and Schicksal had stayed quiet, and Durandal told him to protect Rita’s happiness and not let Rita down.
• Xu Qi waited for Theresa after work and kissed her when she denied being happy to see him.
• Mei asked Xu Qi to accompany her to the kendo match at Huazheng, and he agreed to take Fu Hua to class first.
• Mei asked Xu Qi to stay by her side at the match and promised him a surprise the next day.

Xu Qi accompanied Mei to Huazheng, where she was admired as the Kendo Club’s champion and openly affectionate with him. The schools’ friendly tournament was about to begin, with Rin arriving as Donghua’s competitor and discovering that Xu Qi would be watching.

• Mei helped Xu Qi groom himself before they went to her university, East China University of Political Science and Law.
• Mei told Xu Qi that wearing his ring had discouraged people from approaching her, and junior students stopped them to take photos with her.
• Mei explained that the friendly match had expanded into a tournament among the Songjiang Seven Schools, and Xu Qi realized Donghua had sent Rin.
• Rin arrived at Huazheng with Fu Hua and Donghua’s Kendo Club members, then became eager to fight after learning Xu Qi would be watching.
• Mei entered Huazheng’s gymnasium and was greeted as the Kendo Club’s champion, while its members noticed her closeness with Xu Qi and the ring on her finger.

Mei reassured Xu Qi that he was loved and prepared to use the kendo friendly match to make clear that she belonged to him. Xu Qi joined the judges’ section with Cheng Lixue, where the first match was announced: Mei versus Huazheng Kendo Club president Liu Yisheng.

• Mei worried that her commanding behavior might make Xu Qi like her less, but Xu Qi said he loved her regardless, and Mei told him not to doubt her love either.
• Mei said she would use the friendly match to make clear that she belonged to Xu Qi, then left the preparation room with her long blade.
• A Kendo Club manager escorted Xu Qi to the judges’ section, where he unexpectedly reunited with Cheng Lixue, an outside professional judge.
• Xu Qi and Cheng Lixue learned they would comment on competitors’ matches, and the draw paired Mei against Liu Yisheng in the opening bout.
• Mei’s arrival drew loud cheers, leaving Xu Qi to observe that Liu Yisheng had lost even his popularity advantage.

Raiden Mei defeated President Liu with a single strike at Huazheng’s kendo friendly match, making a forceful declaration that she belonged to Xu Qi. Afterward, she explained that she had hidden her growth because she feared he would not like her domineering side, and they reconciled with a kiss.

• Mei ignored President Liu’s flirtatious greeting and focused on Xu Qi before challenging Liu to draw his sword.
• Mei overwhelmed President Liu with her pressure, struck him down, and made him surrender in front of the cheering crowd.
• Rin, Fu Hua, and Cheng Lixue discussed Mei’s strength and understood her match as a warning to anyone who pursued her.
• Mei reunited with Xu Qi in the preparation room, where he praised her and apologized for not noticing how much she had grown.
• Mei told Xu Qi she had hidden her forceful side out of fear he would not like it, then kissed him after they made up.

Mei dominated the friendly competition, and Xu Qi helped calm Rin before her final match against Mei. The chapter then shifted to Elysia accompanying Delta on a work visit, where Delta explained why the studio was recruiting another background artist.

• Mei continued winning her matches with effortless swordsmanship, and the final bout was set to pit her against Rin.
• Xu Qi reassured nervous Rin that she could treat Mei as an older sister and learn from the friendly match, and Rin went onstage smiling.
• Fu Hua questioned Xu Qi about cheering Rin up and warned him not to develop improper feelings for Yae's sister or her master.
• Elysia complained that Xu Qi had taken the day off with Mei and left her to work with Delta.
• Delta told Elysia that the studio was recruiting a well-known background artist for Alahato SEED, and denied that the studio's current artist had been fired.

Elysia learned how to recognize production problems from Delta, who urged her to help Xu Qi if the animation schedule fell behind. After Mei won Huazheng’s kendo match, she revealed a Raiden Shogun cosplay she had prepared just for Xu Qi.

• Delta explained the production team’s role in finding suitable artists and told Elysia to identify and report problems to Xu Qi if schedules slipped.
• Elysia questioned why Delta spoke as though she might not be around, but Delta dismissed her concern as preparation for unexpected events.
• Mei won Huazheng’s friendly kendo match against Rin, who had performed well, and Rin’s sword dance as Ryougi Shiki helped excite students about joining the club.
• Xu Qi regretted that Mei had not cosplayed onstage, and Mei led him to a changing room to show him a surprise in private.
• Mei revealed her purple Raiden Shogun outfit and teased Xu Qi by addressing him as a mortal.

Mei surprised Xu Qi by cosplaying as Raiden Shogun, and their teasing turned into an intimate encounter in the locked dressing room. The chapter ended with Xu Qi pressing Mei onto a bench after their first playful role-play had left her clothes dirty.

• Mei revealed that she had dressed as Raiden Shogun because the character reminded her of herself, and Xu Qi told her he loved her because she was Mei.
• Xu Qi teased Mei about liking Raiden Shogun’s appearance, and Mei pushed him onto a bench while pretending to be the Shogun.
• Mei removed her kimono and performed her own intimate version of Musou no Hitotachi for Xu Qi.
• Rin finished her performance and asked Fu Hua where Xu Qi had gone, while Fu Hua led her away to get food.
• Mei complained that Xu Qi had dirtied the expensive kimono Eden had arranged, and Xu Qi pressed her down onto the dressing-room bench.

Xu Qi and Mei played out a Raiden Shogun fantasy in Mei’s private changing room, while Rin’s crush on her brother-in-law deepened after she discovered the room was occupied. Xu Qi returned home to find Rin avoiding him, and Alysia told him that Delta seemed troubled.

• Mei dressed as Raiden Shogun and teased Xu Qi in her private school changing room, where they became intimate.
• After changing, Rin worried about her feelings for Xu Qi and realized he had vanished while she was distracted.
• Rin heard students describe Mei’s locked changing room as her exclusive room and guessed what had happened inside.
• Xu Qi noticed someone had overheard them, then later found Rin avoiding him at home and told Yae it was a misunderstanding.
• Alysia told Xu Qi that Delta seemed to have something weighing on her mind.

Alysia warned Xu Qi that Delta might leave E.T., and Xu Qi’s uncle later tried to recruit Delta for T.X. Group. When Xu Qi finally spoke with Delta after work, she admitted she had not refused T.X.’s invitation and left him without an answer about staying.

• Alysia told Xu Qi she sensed Delta might leave, so he planned to talk with Delta the next day.
• Xu Houde visited Xu Qi’s office and proposed transferring Delta’s employment contract to T.X. Group, but Xu Qi angrily rejected him.
• Xu Qi spent the day worrying because he believed Delta was essential to Seed Studio and to him personally.
• Delta came to Xu Qi’s office after work and said she had not refused T.X.’s invitation.
• Xu Qi asked Delta whether she still planned to stay at E.T., but she did not answer.

Delta told Xu Qi she was leaving E.T. Studio for a higher salary and accused him of taking his comfortable life and ideals for granted. Xu Qi questioned his understanding of hardship, but Eden confronted his self-doubt by reminding him of the painful choices and events he had faced before reaching the Golden Courtyard.

• Xu Qi angrily demanded to know why Delta was leaving E.T. Studio, and Delta said T.X. had offered her a higher salary.
• Delta called herself a hypocrite and criticized Xu Qi for preaching ideals without understanding financial hardship before leaving his office.
• Xu Qi returned to the Golden Courtyard and shut himself in his room, while Alysia and Rita told the others what had happened.
• Alone on his balcony, Xu Qi wondered whether his comfortable upbringing had made it easy for him to uphold his principles.
• Eden challenged Xu Qi's claim that his life had been smooth, citing the train disasters, Mei's departure, Fu Hua's exile, and the choices that had brought him to the Golden Courtyard.

Eden helped Xu Qi recover his confidence and decide to act to keep Delta at E.T. The next morning, Delta apologized but said she had already made her choice, leaving her future at the studio uncertain.

• Eden reassured Xu Qi that he did not need to change himself to fit in and encouraged him to make Delta an offer.
• Xu Qi thanked Eden, and she kissed him before teasing him about the photograph she had taken.
• Xu Qi regained his usual confidence, and Alysia teased him about Yae helping him recover.
• Xu Qi encountered Delta at work, and Delta apologized for their argument the previous day.
• Xu Qi asked Delta to stay at E.T., while Rita and Alysia affirmed she would remain Seed Studio's production director if she stayed.
• Delta told them she had already made her choice and had no choice but to make it.

Xu Qi tried to keep Delta at E.T. by arranging a compensation package despite the company’s strict salary structure and T.X.’s offer of 500,000 a year. Delta discovered the extra money would come from Xu Qi’s own salary, and the chapter ended with her throwing the contract at him.

• Bronya told Xu Qi that Delta’s departure would not cripple the animation, but she would support Xu Qi and respect Delta’s choices.
• Bronya explained that E.T. could not easily match T.X.’s salaries and revealed that Xu Houde had offered Delta an annual salary of 500,000.
• Xu Qi decided to fund a better offer for Delta from his own salary and prepared a revised employment contract.
• Xu Qi called Delta into his office and showed her a contract offering 330,000 in annual salary plus 200,000 in performance compensation.
• Delta accused Xu Qi of compromising Alahato’s production quality for her benefit, then learned that the extra money would be deducted from his salary.
• Delta threw the contract into Xu Qi’s face, leaving her complicated reaction unclear.

Xu Qi tested Delta’s loyalty and, after she rejected his lucrative offer, decided to investigate why his uncle was trying to recruit her. When T.X. returned to poach someone, Xu Qi barred the company’s representatives from E.T. and openly mocked them.

• Delta left Xu Qi’s office without anger, and Xu Qi said he had won his bet about her.
• Xu Qi explained to Alysia that Delta’s concern for Alahato’s production convinced him that she was not abandoning E.T. for money.
• Xu Qi asked Neko to watch Delta, Kevin to investigate Xu Houde, and Theresa to share what she knew about Delta.
• Xu Qi kept his usual routine for several days while he quietly gathered information about Delta and his uncle.
• When Xu Houde and T.X. representatives came to E.T. again, Xu Qi had security keep them out and posted a sign banning T.X. employees and dogs.

Xu Qi confronted Delta after she tried to resign for a T.X. offer, and discovered she planned to leave E.T. to secure an experimental treatment opportunity for her younger sister, Lilia, who had ALS. Delta admitted she wanted to stay and help Alahato succeed, leaving Xu Qi aware of the sacrifice behind her decision.

• Xu Qi tore up Delta's resignation letter and warned her he would block her from joining T.X.
• Delta confronted Xu Qi, but he pleaded with her to explain what was wrong, and she admitted she wanted to stay at E.T. and see Alahato succeed.
• Xu Qi comforted Delta as she broke down, while Bronya and Welt arrived and watched them reconcile.
• After the others left, Xu Qi asked Delta about her younger sister, and Delta revealed that Lilia had ALS.
• Delta explained that T.X. had promised to secure Lilia a place in a British motor-neuron experiment if Delta left E.T. before Alahato premiered in April.

Xu Qi told Delta that Mobius might be able to treat Lilia, giving Delta hope and bringing the two out of their cold war. He visited Delta’s home with her to wait for her sisters, and the chapter ended as she asked how he had learned about Lilia.

• Xu Qi revealed that Mobius, Lucy’s former supervisor and his girlfriend, was a leading biologist who might be able to help Lilia.
• Delta broke down crying in Xu Qi’s arms, then argued and joked with him after he reassured her.
• Delta learned from Rosalia’s message that she and Lilia had gone out, leaving Xu Qi and Delta alone at home.
• Xu Qi asked Delta to act as casually with him as usual, and Delta asked how he had found out about her sister.
• Xu Qi claimed that a computer-savvy friend and a friend in the police force had helped him find information about Delta.

Xu Qi realized that Delta liked him, and Delta confessed her feelings while telling him she expected no promises. Xu Qi kissed her and said he wanted to take responsibility for her, while Rosalia and Lilia quietly came home and discovered them.

• Xu Qi reassured Delta that Bronya regarded her as a friend, then teased her until she became flustered.
• Xu Qi recognized that he wanted Delta to stay for reasons beyond her usefulness, while Delta asked if he knew she liked him.
• Delta confessed her love for Xu Qi and said she did not expect him to make promises or take responsibility.
• Xu Qi pulled Delta into his arms, kissed her, and told her he wanted to take responsibility for her.
• Rosalia and Lilia sneaked into the home and found Xu Qi and Delta kissing passionately.

Xu Qi confessed his feelings to Delta, who accepted him before revealing that he could help cure her sister Lilia. Mobius and Su prepared to treat Lilia’s ALS, while Xu Qi stayed behind with Mobius after the others left.

• Xu Qi asked Delta to be his girlfriend, and she accepted before Rosalia and Lilia interrupted them spying from the hallway.
• Delta told Lilia that Xu Qi could cure her illness, giving both sisters hope that Lilia would not have to leave her.
• Mobius diagnosed Lilia with advanced ALS and said she had a treatment plan to prepare her for Su’s surgery, though she could not guarantee its success.
• Su promised to do everything he could for the surgery, and Rosalia agreed to help care for Lilia in the special ward.
• After the others left, Xu Qi teased Mobius about her kindness, and she kissed him and pulled him close.
• Eden considered adding another floor and basement to the Golden Courtyard as more girls moved in.

Delta learned that Lilia’s operation would cost her nothing and that Xu Qi already considered her his lover; Mei asked her to protect him from other women. In Mobius’s laboratory, Xu Qi pressed Mobius about Lilia’s condition, and the chapter ended with Mobius wondering whether she might become pregnant.

• Delta told Eden and Mei she planned to sell her home to pay for Lilia’s treatment, but Mei said Mobius and Doctor Su would treat Lilia without charge.
• Mei told Delta that Xu Qi considered her his lover and urged her to keep him in line and protect him from ill-intentioned women.
• Mobius teased Xu Qi about Delta, and Xu Qi asked whether something was wrong with Lilia.
• Xu Qi made Mobius reveal what she knew by satisfying her first, then carried her out of the laboratory to rest.
• Mobius rubbed her stomach and wondered whether she might become pregnant, though she believed the odds were low.